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COUNTY

Madera County

California · 167,927 residents (2025 est.) · 2,137 sq mi
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Part of the Fresno metro area
The short version

Madera County is home to 160,940 people in California. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. That puts it in the top 6% of US counties for household income. This skews young, with a median age of 34.6. 37,831 more people live here than in 2000. That trails the California median by roughly 23%.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $76,627, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 34.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 82%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Madera County

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share34.2% → 60.9% (+26.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • White share60.5% → 29.9% (−30.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Population88,090 → 160,940 (+83%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 58 counties in California

  • 34th in household income$76,627
  • 49th in share with a bachelor's degree17.9%
  • 39th in home value$393,200
  • 34th in diversity score67.0
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
160,940
+31%since 2000
from 123,109 in 2000
167,927 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
75 / sq mi
+31%since 2000
from 58 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
34.6
+6%since 2000
from 32.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
2,137 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
81K103K125K146K168K19902000201020202024Madera County
2024161K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.6%(10,693)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 97.2%(11,644)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.3%(13,307)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198%(12,822)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.8%(11,012)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.5%(21,791)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(21,350)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(17,979)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.7%(17,194)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.9%(14,334)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844%(6,377)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(2,437)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$76,627
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,286 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,077
+105%since 2000
from $14,682 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
50.9%
+23.1 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
19.2%
−2.2 ptssince 2000
from 21.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.459
+4%since 2010
from 0.441 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing12.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction12.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Information9.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6.2%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration2.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$393,200
+82%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $118,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,390
+36%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $562 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
67.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 66.2% in 2000
32.5% rent
Vacancy rate
11.0%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
3.41 people
+6%since 2009
from 3.23 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
31.9%
−8.2 ptssince 2009
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.2%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.1
−20%since 2009
from 6.4 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
43
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic46.6%(57,391)
Black3.8%(4,710)
Hispanic / Latino44.3%(54,515)
Asian1.2%(1,480)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic29.9%(48,195)
Black2.4%(3,926)
Hispanic / Latino60.9%(98,083)
Asian2.4%(3,789)
Other4.3%(6,947)
Diversity Score
67
−7%since 2009
from 72 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
48
+3%since 2020
from 47 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican57.5%(92,528)
Central American1.1%(1,839)
Spaniard0.6%(993)
Salvadoran0.5%(739)
Guatemalan0.4%(667)
Puerto Rican0.4%(611)
Colombian0.1%(213)
Nicaraguan0.1%(205)
Honduran0.1%(167)
Cuban0%(45)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(997)
Filipino0.6%(990)
Chinese0.3%(543)
Vietnamese0.2%(315)
Pakistani0.1%(203)
Japanese0.1%(146)
Korean0.1%(108)
Hmong0.1%(82)
Okinawan0%(38)
Thai0%(16)
Mien0%(14)
Cambodian0%(12)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(74)
Chamorro0%(56)
Guamanian0%(52)
Fijian0%(47)
Tongan0%(22)
Ancestry
German6.2%(9,933)
English5.7%(9,171)
Irish4.9%(7,961)
Italian2.7%(4,331)
American1.7%(2,672)
Portuguese1.3%(2,042)
Scottish1.1%(1,761)
French1.1%(1,760)
Swedish0.9%(1,369)
Dutch0.7%(1,050)
Norwegian0.6%(904)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(798)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Polish0.4%(683)
Russian0.4%(585)
Arab0.3%(543)
British0.3%(430)
Welsh0.2%(402)
Armenian0.2%(385)
Swiss0.2%(341)
Danish0.2%(289)
Palestinian0.2%(264)
Canadian0.1%(235)
Czech0.1%(216)
West Indian0.1%(206)
Greek0.1%(174)
Iranian0.1%(137)
Lebanese0.1%(128)
Lithuanian0.1%(104)
Haitian0.1%(102)
Finnish0.1%(99)
Romanian0.1%(96)
Belgian0.1%(95)
Austrian0.1%(89)
Ukrainian0.1%(82)
Hungarian0%(80)
Brazilian0%(73)
Turkish0%(53)
Jamaican0%(49)
Nigerian0%(42)
Iraqi0%(18)
Croatian0%(12)
Slovak0%(9)
Latvian0%(3)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
17.9%
+5.9 ptssince 2000
from 12.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
73.1%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 65.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
6.2%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 3.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.9 min
+49%since 2000
from 18.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
71.8%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 73.6% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
11.6%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 16.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.7%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.6%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
10.1%
−1.2 ptssince 2011
from 11.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
56.4%
+3.3 ptssince 2011
from 53.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
62.4%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 59.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.9%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
29.3%
+6.0 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Foreign born
20.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 20.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.2%
+2.5 ptssince 2012
from 11.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.4%
−13.2 ptssince 2013
from 20.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.0%
+18.8 ptssince 2017
from 72.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.8%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 92.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 87.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
54.3%
−0.6 ptssince 2016
from 54.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
42.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2016
from 41.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.5%(24,523)
Married47.4%(28,720)
Widowed2.4%(1,467)
Divorced9.7%(5,851)
Women 15+
Never married37%(23,945)
Married43.9%(28,446)
Widowed7.4%(4,818)
Divorced11.6%(7,526)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.4%
−13.2 ptssince 2013
from 20.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
38.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 38.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
39.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 41.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
54.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 52.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
52.8%
−1.0 ptssince 2020
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.8%(1,247)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.5%(955)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.8%(1,736)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.3%(342)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(14)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 5,461 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Madera County, decade by decade

Madera County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199088,090$65,690$205,68611.7%64.5
2000123,109$66,101$215,50212.0%72.9
2010150,865$66,230$397,04613.5%70.6
2020156,255$75,054$325,43215.2%68.3
2024160,940$76,627$393,20017.9%67.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Madera County

Sumter County
Pop 157,772
Scott County
Pop 175,259
Washington County
Pop 157,731
Johnson County
Pop 160,044
Places similar to Madera County
Head to head

Compare Madera County to nearby counties

MADERA COUNTY VS
Mariposa County
Income$68,412−11%
Home value$387,900−1%
Population16,918−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADERA COUNTY VS
Fresno County
Income$74,201−3%
Home value$388,800−1%
Population1,035,456+517%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADERA COUNTY VS
Merced County
Income$65,510−15%
Home value$391,800same
Population297,260+77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MADERA COUNTY VS
Tuolumne County
Income$77,404+1%
Home value$433,200+10%
Population53,160−68%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Madera County, California?

Madera County, California has about 160,940 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Madera County, California?

The typical household in Madera County, California earns about $76,627 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Madera County, California expensive?

In Madera County, California, the median home is worth about $393,200, and the typical rent is about $1,390 a month.

How educated are people in Madera County, California?

About 17.9% of adults age 25 and over in Madera County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Madera County, California?

About 19.2% of people in Madera County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Madera County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Madera County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 72,850 residents, a change of about 83 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →